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Sarasota County FL’s Energy Economic Zone Program
Sarasota County has established an Energy Economic Zone Program that allows developers of commercial property to receive different tax rebates and other financial incentives when they comply with ener...
Seattle’s solar zoning
Seattle’s Municipal Code (2010) allows solar collectors specifically to exceed height restriction by several feet and provides unique setback requirements.
Las Cruces NM Solar Regulations for Historic Buildings
The Las Cruces Code allows for the installation of solar panels in a way that does not damage the integrity of historic sites. The solar panels must preserve the aesthetic of the building and be rever...
Cambridge Gas Pump Warning Labels
Cambridge, Mass., passed an ordinance in January mandating warning labels be placed on gas pumps. The warnings will include information about the effects of fossil fuel consumption on human health and...
Community Solar Policy Decision Matrix
The Coalition for Community Solar Access has authored a matrix intended to lead policymakers through important questions in the community solar development process, with factors grouped into five cate...
Minneapolis 2040 Plan
The Minneapolis 2040 plan approved by their City Council in 2018 will upzone nearly the entire city, allowing taller buildings with more units, eliminate off-street parking requirements throughout the...
Proposed NYC Law Capping Portland Cement Content in Concrete
NYC Council Member Constantinides proposed a Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York and the New York city building code, setting a maximum for Portland cement content in co...
Boulder’s Energy Conservation Code
Under Boulder’s Energy Conservation Code, commercial buildings must achieve energy performance significantly exceeding national code baselines, using predictive computer modeling to demonstrate energy...
Eugene OR Gas Ban
In February, 2023, Eugene Oregon voted to become the first city in Oregon to ban the use of natural gas in new construction.
Boulder’s Deconstruction Ordinance
Boulder, Colorado’s deconstruction ordinance requires deconstruction of any building being torn down regardless of age and whether it’s residential or commercial. Boulder’s ordinance also includes wha...
EDF Briefs on On-Bill Financing
EDF has written a national policy brief on on-bill repayment, as well as a specific analysis of California’s on-bill repayment programs.
Cupertino’s Electrification Ordinance
The City of Cupertino adopted an electrification ordinance in late 2019 to align with the city’s climate action plan to reduce carbon emissions 83% by 2050. It applies to residential and commercial ne...
Salt Lake City Energy Benchmarking & Transparency Ordinance
Salt Lake City’s Energy Benchmarking and Transparency Ordinance requires all commercial buildings above 25,000 sf to benchmark and report their energy consumption. Beginning in 2020, Salt Lake City wi...
LA Oil and Gas Well Ban
In January, 2022, the Los Angeles City Council voted to ban new oil and gas wells and phase out existing wells over a period of five years. The council declared oil wells “non-conforming” with the cit...
Building Electrification Initiative
The Building Electrification Initiative is a project of The Innovation Network for Communities, a nonprofit organizing communities to respond to climate change. The BEI supports pilot strategies to sc...
Pace report, local model ordinances on wind permitting
The Pace Energy and Climate Center has published a suite of local model ordinances addressing the various siting and permitting requirements for wind energy.
Model Executive Order on Municipal Leadership on Food Waste Reduction
Given the large amount of food that some municipalities procure and the many people that they employ, the impact of food waste reduction measures in municipal operations can be substantial and far-rea...
Lancaster CA’s building code
Lancaster’s building code (2017) requires that new buildings be outfitted with a solar energy system. New single-family homes must have solar energy systems that can produce two watts of power for eve...
Local Government Plug-in Electric Vehicle Toolkit
This toolkit from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency provides an overview of the key considerations for local governments who are seeking to support the deployment of PEV charging infrastructure.
PaceNation.org Model Rules and Database
PaceNation.us published a national database of successful PACE programs, as well as tutorials, program design options, and model language for developing a PACE program at the state or municipal level.
Oakland Home Occupation Zoning
Oakland’s Planning Code allows both live/work and work/live units, depending on whether the primary use is residential or nonresidential. These units are permitted within the mixed-use districts and m...
St. Anthony ID’s Mixed Use Zoning
St. Anthony’s municipal code allows mixed-use zones to provide for commercial aspects in neighborhood centers. Mixed-use districts are divided into low and moderate intensity, depending on the degree ...
Charlotte NC Green Power Procurement
In 2020, Charlotte NC approved a resolution to meet a quarter of its municipal building electricity needs with solar power. The unanimously approved agreement allows the state’s largest city to buy th...
Richmond CA Coal Storage Ban (2020)
Richmond’s coal storage ordinance (2020) gives businesses three years to wind down coal and coke storage operations. In practice, the ordinance will directly affect only one Richmond business, Levin-R...
Report, Rural Electrification 2.0
Members of the RE-AMP Network published a 2019 report, Rural Electrification 2.0, which investigates pathways for coal plant transition at rural electric cooperatives in the Midwest, including bailout...
Boston’s LEED Requirements
Boston’s Zoning Code Article 37 (2007) requires that any project that is subject to Large Project Review (generally 50,000 sf+, or smaller projects located near Boston Harbor) must be LEED certifiable...
FHA Congestion Pricing Primer
The Federal Highway Administration’s 2006 primer on congestion pricing addresses methodology and best practices.
Los Angeles’ Transit-Oriented Districts
Los Angeles’ Code of Ordinances encourages affordable housing within transit-oriented districts by providing developers with height, density, and parking flexibility. The City has promulgated technica...
Scituate, MA Municipal Aggregation Plan
The town of Scituate, MA submitted a 2019 petition to DOER for approval of their municipal aggregation plan, with the goals of providing long term price stability, lower cost power and more renewable ...
ACEEE Report, Programs to Promote Zero-Energy New Homes and Buildings
ACEEE’s September 2020 brief, Programs to Promote Zero-Energy New Homes and Buildings, surveys 20 different zero-energy programs across the country, and discusses these programs and the push to constr...
Brookline’s new gas hookup ban
In November 2019, Brookline MA approved a bylaw that prohibits the installation of oil and gas heating systems in new construction beginning in 2021. It makes an exception for gas stoves. In July 2020...
San Jose solar permitting standards
In response to California’s Solar Permitting Efficiency Act, San Jose adopted photovoltaic permit requirements (2016) that can approve a project in as little as one-day, and could become a nationwide ...
Model Ordinance Language and Decision Framework for Improving the Performance of Existing Buildings
This 2018 model law presents sample language that can be used by jurisdictions interested in drafting a comprehensive existing building performance policy that encompasses provisions for benchmarking,...
Arcadia’s EV-Ready Ordinance
Arcadia’s Code of Ordinances (2018) provides that in the Site Plan and Design Review process, the responsible Reviewing Authority has authority to require that parking facilities be provided to accomm...
Mountlake Terrace EV Infrastructure Building Requirements
Mountlake Terrace’s Municipal Code (2010) requires a minimum percentage of parking spaces be equipped with EV infrastructure on new and improved developments over 10,000 sf. The required percentage of...
Report, Conservation Easements and Climate Change
Aaronson and Manuel’s 2008 report notes how the current law of conservation easements does not recognize the full potential for carbon capture resulting from land conservation, in part because the tax...
Atlanta’s Benchmarking and Auditing Requirements
Atlanta’s Code of Ordinances (2016) requires both energy benchmarking and auditing. Benchmarking is required for city-owned buildings over 10,000 sf or certain classes of buildings over 25,000 sf. The...
Executive Order on Comprehensive Energy Management of Salt Lake City Facilities
In addition to benchmarking requirements, the Comprehensive Energy Management of Salt Lake City Facilities Executive Order (2015) requires further energy audits, retrocommissioning, building operator ...
Oakland Coal Storage Ban
In 2016, Oakland passed Ordinance No. 13385, prohibiting the rail transportation of coal and petcoke for export overseas through the rail-to-ship terminal under development at the West Gateway of the ...
Boston’s Urban Forests Plan
In September 2022, Boston published an urban forests plan that stipulates tripling the number of city employees focused on trees, from 5 to 16 people, and creating a new forestry office in an effort t...
Local Government Playbook: How Counties, Cities, and Towns Can Support EV Infrastructure and Leverage Federal Investments
A December 2022 from the Electrification Coalition, a nonpartisan organization that promotes the adoption of EVs, lays out a road map for city and county governments to follow to expand access to elec...
Atlanta Benchmarking Ordinance
Atlanta’s Code of Ordinances (2016) requires both energy benchmarking and auditing. Benchmarking is required for city-owned buildings over 10,000 sf or certain classes of buildings over 25,000 sf. The...
EPA Compilation of Idling Laws
EPA prepared 2006 a compilation of state and local anti-idling regulations.
Seattle’s Drive Clean Initiative and EV-Ready Codes
Seattle’s Drive Clean Initiative is working to develop a network of off-street charging station clusters, and promote an EV charging pilot program that allows the installation an Electric Vehicle (EV)...
Rockville Forest and Tree Preservation Ordinance
Rockville, MD’s Forest and Tree Preservation Ordinance establishes requirements that protect trees and forests during and after development activity, and requirements for afforestation and reforestati...
NYC’s Model Energy Aligned Lease Provision
NYC’s Model Energy Aligned Lease Provision details language intended to solve the split incentive problem in typical modified gross commercial leases for base buildings.
CDP Disclosure Services
CDP is a not-for-profit charity that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Each year CDP supports thousands of c...
California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project
California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project extends traditional rebates to private purchasers of EVs to public entities operating light duty vehicles, while funds are available. Standard funding amounts...
Milan Urban Food Policy Pact
The MUFPP is an international pact signed by 209 cities with over 450 million population supporting best practices in managing food waste. The MUFPP website also contains best practices, awards, and o...
Brisbane CA Bag Ban
Brisbane’s Ordinance 580 requires retailers to stop giving out single-use plastic bags and instead only offer recycled-content paper or reusable bags for a minimum charge of 10 cents per bag.
Reno Energy and Water Efficiency Program
In addition to benchmarking requirements, Reno’s Energy and Water Efficiency Program requires that all buildings not receiving an Energy Star score of at least 50 must conduct an energy audit and retr...
DC Green Bank
The District of Columbia Green Finance Authority Establishment Act of 2018 made Washington, DC the first city in the United States to establish a green bank. The DC Green Bank aims to attract private ...
NRDC Report, On-Bill Financing
NRDC has written a policy brief on on-bill financing, providing an overview and key considerations for program design.
ELI report, Siting Wind Facilities on State Owned Lands and Waters
The Environmental Law Institute’s report, Siting Wind Facilities on State Owned Lands and Waters, addresses best practices in building renewables on state trust lands, state conservation lands, and st...
Getting to Zero: A Pathway to a Carbon Neutral Seattle
Seattle commissioned outside consultants to develop a scenario of how the city might be able to achieve carbon neutrality. The resulting report constructed a Carbon Neutral scenario from the “bottom u...
APA report, “Planning for Wind Energy”
The American Planning Association’s Planning for Wind Energy provides an overview of the wind siting process, as well as a checklist for ordinances, elements of successful a utility-scale wind project...
Cleveland OH Wind Zoning
Cleveland OH’s Zoning Code § 354 permits wind energy facilities by-right.
Comparison of State Laws on Electronics Recycling
The Electronics TakeBack Coalition’s 2013 spreadsheet comparing state laws on electronics recycling provides a survey of states with producer responsibility laws and other models.
Bonita Springs’ Green Building Program
Bonita Springs’ Green Building Program (2012) incorporates the LEED Program for Homes standards, the current Green Home Designation, and the current Energy Start Certified New Home requirements, as we...
Breckenridge, CO Solar Zoning for Historic Districts
Breckenridge, CO allows for the installation of solar panels only where it will not be detrimental to the character of the historic building. The code requires solar panels to be installed in a way so...
Report, Green Roof and Wall Policy in North America
This 2019 report from GreenRoofs.org outlines regulations, incentives, and best practices for encouraging green roofs in localities.
Charlotte Shared Streets Initiative
The City of Charlotte launched the Charlotte Shared Streets initiative to support social distancing and pedestrian/bicycle safety during the COVID-19 crisis. Shared Streets are streets that are tempor...
Model Community Choice Aggregation Ordinances
MCE, a California-based Community Choice Aggregator, has compiled a number of ordinances establishing CCA from among its member communities.
Oakland Natural Gas Ban
In December 2020, Oakland approved measures to prohibit natural gas infrastructure in newly constructed buildings. The unanimously-passed measure will apply to all residential and commercial construct...
Model Ordinance on Mandatory Reporting for Large Food Waste Generators
Up to 40 percent of food in the United States is wasted—and 95 percent is disposed of in landfills or incinerated. Diverting food waste from landfills by preventing food waste, donating surplus food, ...
Colorado Springs Renewable Energy Program
Colorado Springs Renewable Energy Program offers rebates of $0.25 per watt for solar systems, and up to 40% of total system costs could be covered by rebates and tax credits.
DC Act A23-0539
This bill provides energy efficiency standards for various appliances that are offered for sale or installed in the District of Columbia. One year after this bill is enacted, new covered products must...
Boulder’s Comfort365 Program
Boulder’s Comfort365 program combines education and outreach, active marketing, and financial incentives to drive heat pump adoption. The City of Boulder and Boulder County spearheaded the program, pr...
Santa Monica’s 2020 Energy Reach Code
On September 10, 2019, Santa Monica City Council adopted the newly proposed Santa Monica Reach Code. The amendments or “Reach Codes” are designed to encourage low-cost all-electric new construction of...
Tallahassee Energy Efficiency Loan Program
The Tallahassee, Florida, Energy Efficiency Loan Program provides on-bill financing for residential and commercial energy efficiency and solar projects. When contractors perform service calls, they pr...
Boulder Building Performance Ordinance
The Boulder Building Performance Ordinance (2015) requires owners of commercial and industrial buildings to: annually rate and report the energy use of their buildings; perform periodic energy assessm...
Mount Dora FL’s Mixed-Use Transitional Zoning
Mount Dora’s Land Use Development Code establishes mixed-use transitional districts and a mixed-use downtown district to encourage a pedestrian environment and reduce automobile trips.
Portland’s Zero Emissions Delivery Zone
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) a SMART Grant to pilot a Zero-Emission Delivery Zone and test digital infrastructure tools. This pro...
Nashville’s Green Fleet Requirements
Nashville has established a fleet electrification program requiring that all motor vehicles owned by the metropolitan government be zero-emission vehicles by the year 2050. The enacting ordinance puts...
Sacramento Idling Prohibition
The city of Sacramento has an idling prohibition specifically targeting vehicles left unattended.
Minneapolis Repeals Parking Requirements
In 2021, Minneapolis eliminated minimum parking requirements throughout the city. Parking maximums exist for all uses, and in no case may a surface parking lot exceed 100 spaces.
Model Municipal Zoning Ordinance on Community Composting
This Model Municipal Zoning Ordinance on Community Composting, published by NRDC and ELI, is a template ordinance that can be adapted and enacted by a municipality to establish community composting as...
Bay Area Ban on New Gas Water Heaters and Furnaces
In March 2023, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District board banned the sale of gas water heaters in the Bay Area in 2027, and new gas furnaces in 2029. Officials emphasized the rules only apply ...
Devens MA’s Policy for Construction of Vegetated Roofs
Devens, MA’s Industrial Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Projects state that industrial sources that require an air quality permit must have a vegetated roof that covers at least 40...
NYC Clean Fleet Initiative
By 2025, the NYC Clean Fleet Initiative will add 2,000 EVs to the existing municipal fleet of 27,152.
Michigan’s Model Zoning Guidelines for Large-Scale Wind Systems
Michigan State University has updated a series of model zoning guidelines for large-scale wind systems originally drafted by the state’s Energy Office. The guidelines are designed for rural applicatio...
Hayward Natural Gas Ban
Hayward, CA’s new electric reach code requires all new residential buildings to be all-electric, while nonresidential and high-rise residential buildings are electric preferred. Mixed-fuel buildings m...
Portland Repeals Parking Requirements
As of July 2023, Portland has no parking mandates citywide for any uses. Prior, the city maintained mandates that were only in effect in rare instances. As part of Oregon’s Climate Friendly and Equita...
LBNL report, Quantifying the Effect of the Principal-Agent Problem on US Residential Energy Use
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s 2006 report, Quantifying the Effect of the Principal-Agent Problem on US Residential Energy Use, quantifies the extent that the principal agent problem affects energy ...
Concord MA Cluster Zoning
Amherst MA’s cluster zoning provisions allows cluster developments reduced minimum lot sizes and requires fifty percent of land be perpetually maintained as open space for agriculture, parks, recreati...
Portland’s Deconstruction Ordinance
Deconstruction ordinances catalyze local material recovery markets, reducing demand for virgin materials and creating jobs in skilled deconstruction. The City of Portland (Oregon) Deconstruction Ordin...
Report, Creating EV-Ready Towns and Cities
Creating EV-Ready Towns and Cities (2012), prepared by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, offered key findings on how municipalities can support EV-penetration through zonin...
2022 Chicago Energy Transformation Code
In September 2022, the Chicago City Councilpassed the 2022 Chicago Energy Transformation Code, which requires that new buildings are constructed in alignment with stronger energy efficiency and electr...
Los Angeles Residential Cool Roof Ordinance
In 2013, Los Angeles made updates to its green building code that include a reflectivity requirement for new and replaced residential roofs. The ordinance requires low-slope roofs to have a minimum th...
DC’s Green Building Act and Construction Codes
The District of Columbia’s Green Building Act (2006) required green building certification in both the public and private sector. The District’s Construction Codes (2013) expanded to cover projects be...
San Francisco’s Green Tenant Toolkit
San Francisco’s Green Tenant Toolkit includes a guide to integrating sustainability throughout the life-cycle of commercial leases, toolkits for stakeholder engagement, and a checklist summarizing key...
Philadelphia Cool Roof Law
This 2010 bill requires cool roofs on new commercial low-sloped buildings.
Ohio Community Choice Aggregation
Ohio was among the first states to authorize CCA (called Governmental Electricity Aggregation there) as part the Energy Choice Act of 1999 (SB3). More than 250 communities in Ohio have switched to mun...
Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency program
The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program aims to invest billions in critically needed capital improvements to increase the efficiency of the region’s rail infras...
Seattle’s Building Emissions Performance Standard
Under Seattle’s BEPS, signed into law in December 2023, all existing commercial and multifamily residential buildings over 20,000 square feet will need to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Compliance ...
Seattle Ban on Natural Gas Heating in New Construction
In December 2020, Seattle announced new steps to further electrify buildings using clean energy and ban fossil fuels for most building use. By updating its energy code, the City aims to ban the use of...
NYC’s operational standard for wind turbines
The Administrative Code of the City of New York enumerates operational standards for small and large wind turbines within the City, including design standards, maintenance, noise, and physical appeara...
The Green Lease Library
The Green Lease Library is a centralized site for commercial green leasing resources. Their website catalogs guidance and case studies, public sector green leasing resources, model green leasing langu...
Gold Beach OR Tiny Home Zoning
Gold Beach OR Ordinance No. 660 permits the use of a tiny home as a separate single-family dwelling in an existing residential zone, requiring a total square footage of between 200 and 600, on the sam...
Boston’s Ban on Fossil Fuels in New City Buildings
In July 2023, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signed an executive order eliminating fossil fuel use in new municipal building constructions and renovations. The order bans new municipal buildings from using ...
DC’s Building Energy Performance Standard (2018)
DC’s Building Energy Performance Standards were set forth in Title III of the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018. The Act states that, starting in 2021, owners of buildings over 50,000 square feet th...
Seattle’s Priority Green Expedited Program
Seattle provides customized green building education, early design guidance, technical assistance, incentives, and recognition of sustainable building. They also provide expedited construction permitt...
Ann Arbor’s Zoning for Accessory Dwelling Units
Ann Arbor, MI approved zoning amendments that greatly relaxed the requisite standards for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). ADUs can now be designed to match either a single-family residence or a detac...
Laramie WY solar and wind zoning
Laramie’s Code of Ordinances (2017) allows for both solar and wind energy systems in all zoning districts, with no exceptions for homeowners association restrictions. These codes provide relaxed stand...
USDA report, USDA Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry
USDA’s 2016 report outlines a set of “building blocks” to help farmers, ranchers, forestland owners, and rural communities reduce GHG emissions and increase carbon sequestration, including tools for p...
LPDD Model Law: Local Ordinance Expediting Permitting for EV Charging Stations
Permitting decisions for EV charging stations are made at the local level, and there is tremendous variation in the levels of expertise and experience among the local authorities having jurisdiction (...
Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund
The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) provides dedicated funding for climate action that advances racial and social justice. PCEF was created by local ballot measure #26-201 in Nove...
Maine model ordinance for wind energy
Maine’s state planning office developed a detailed model ordinance for wind energy facilities, including definitions for different types of wind energy facilities based on output.
Report, A Practical Guide to Cool Roofs and Cool Pavements
This 2012 report from the Global Cool Cities Alliance was developed for a range of audiences to help speed a transition to cool roofs and pavements. The guide covers the climate benefits of cool roofs...
Seattle’s Healthy Streets Pilot
Seattle, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, adopted a Healthy Streets pilot that shut down 20 miles of streets in order to allow pedestrians and cyclists more room to move while socially distancing...
Low Carbon Concrete Code Template Language (California-Specific)
This template Low Carbon Concrete Code Language was made available through StopWaste.org, which has documented resources and efforts to develop Low Carbon Concrete codes generally, particularly the co...
Santa Rosa All-Electric Reach Code
In November 2019, the City of Santa Rosa CA passed a reach code that would require all new residential construction of 3-stories and below to be all electric.
Austin’s Energy Conservation and Disclosure Ordinance
In addition to audit requirements, Austin’s Energy Conservation and Disclosure Ordinance (2008) requires multifamily properties that use 150%+ of average energy use for similar properties to conduct r...
Tuoro Law Center’s Model Ordinance and Resource Guide on Zoning for Small- and Medium-Scale Wind Energy
The Tuoro Law Center has prepared a Model Ordinance and Resource Guide on Zoning for Small- and Medium-Scale Wind Energy. The report provides citations to examples of existing wind energy zoning in Ne...
Georgetown TX renewable energy incentives
Georgetown, TX’s Code of Ordinances (2012) offers multiple incentives for renewable energy, including rebates for the installation and purchasing of equipment needed to install solar systems. Rebates ...
Denver’s FasTracks Program
In 2004, Denver voted to expand public transit to the tune of $4.7 billion, adding 122 miles of commuter, light rail, and bus rapid transit lines across the region, which work continues under the FasT...
McCall ID’s Density Bonuses for Renewable Energy Installations
McCall provides a 10% bonus to density if 50% of the total energy needs of the development are provided by “solar, wind, geothermal, or [an] alternative renewable energy source.”
Ashland OR’s solar access permit law
Ashland OR’s Municipal Code 18.4.8 establishes a procedure for a obtaining a solar access permit to protect a solar energy system from vegetation that would shade the collector.
Berkeley’s Energy Savings Ordinance (No. 7397)
Berkeley’s Energy Savings Ordinance (No. 7397)(2015) requires energy assessments at time of sale for medium, small, and single family buildings, and will phase-in all buildings by building size and ye...
Boston’s Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance
Boston’s Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance (2013) requires that buildings report energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and water use to the city using Portfolio Manager (or an equival...
New York City’s Climate Mobilization Act (2019)
New York City’s Climate Mobilization Act is an umbrella term for a set of laws, including Local Laws 92 and 94 (established through Int. 0276 and Int. 1032), which require certain existing building ro...
Sebastopol’s Solar Energy Requirements
Sebastopol’s City Code (2018) requires new commercial or residential buildings, and specific alterations, to incorporate solar energy of either 2 watts per square foot, or offsetting 75% of the annual...
LPDD Model Law: Municipal Ordinance for Alternative Fuel Vehicle Parking Benefits
This model legislation provides for free parking on the street and in municipal garages for alternative fuel vehicles through 2030. It provides multiple options for defining qualifying vehicles, expir...
Cleveland’s green leasing initiatives
Cleveland was named the first municipal “green lease leader” in the country by the Institute for Market Transformation. Cleveland began implementing green leases in 2013, when it developed its first C...
Report, Capturing the Federal EV Tax Credit for Public Fleets
Capturing the Federal EV Tax Credit for Public Fleets (2017), a report by the EV Smart Fleet coalition, provides a case study on electric fleet procurement in Alameda County, California.
St. Louis’ Building Energy Performance Standard (2020)
St. Louis’ BEPS will require large commercial, multi-family, institutional, and municipal buildings (50,000 sq. ft. and above) to reduce energy use in order to meet an energy performance standard by M...
NYC’s Commercial Organic Waste Law
New York City’s Local Law 146, the Commercial Organic Waste Law, requires covered food waste generators to source-separate their organic material and either arrange for the transportation of this mate...
Report, The Legal Dynamics of Local Limits on Natural Gas Use in Buildings
This June 2020 report from Harvard’s Environmental and Energy Law Program explores recent actions to electrify buildings, breaking down the legal mechanics of local laws and the role of state laws in ...
San Jose’s Energy and Water Building Performance Ordinance
In addition to benchmarking requirements, San Jose’s Energy and Water Building Performance Ordinance (2018) requires auditing for buildings that do not meet performance standards (including an Energy ...
Parking Reform Network
The Parking Reform Network is an advocacy organization that aims to educate the public about the impact of parking policy on climate change, equity, housing, and traffic. In partnership with allied or...
LPDD Model Law: Clean Fleet Legislation
This LPDD model legislation can be enacted on the state or local level to establish a “Green Fleet Transition” program in the enacting jurisdiction. It would establish an orderly process for the trans...
San Jose’s building electrification reach code
San Jose’s building electrification reach code encourages all-electric construction by requiring any new building with gas to achieve higher energy-efficiency savings (Cal Green Tier 1 compliance) and...
Seattle Food Waste Ordinance
In 2014, Seattle passed an ordinance prohibiting food waste and compostable paper from going in the trash, with a $50 associated fine. While the enforcement provisions of the ordinance were later stru...
Utility-Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems Model Ordinance
This document is intended to provide guidance to local governments considering developing an ordinance or rules related to the development of utility-scale battery energy storage systems. The recommen...
Report, Planning for a Boston Green New Deal and Just Recovery
Boston City Councilwoman Michelle Wu outlined a 49-page plan that includes a sweeping rezoning of the city to increase neighborhood density, build cheap cooperative housing and add parks. It envisions...
Fresno CA’s Zoning for Tiny Homes and Accessory Dwelling Units
The Fresno, California zoning code permits use and construction of tiny homes as permanent dwellings and provides for second dwelling units, backyard cottages, and accessory living quarters as a speci...
D.C.’s Healthy Homes and Residential Electrification Amendment Act
In April 2024, the DC Council approved a Healthy Homes and Residential Electrification Amendment Act, which sets DC on a course to replace fossil-fuel powered appliances and home heat with electric ap...
Los Angeles County Oil and Gas Well Ban
Following a similar measure in the City of Los Angeles, in January 2023, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors officially approved an ordinance to prohibit new oil and gas wells and phase out cu...
DOT Report, Transportation’s Role in Reducing US Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The US Department of Transportation released a 2010 report titled Transportation’s Role in Reducing US Greenhouse Gas Emissions, which notes that various behavioral shifts could reduce GHG’s from tran...
Bonita Springs’ Green Building Program
Bonita Springs’ Green Building Program (2012) incorporates the LEED Program for Homes standards, the current Green Home Designation, and the current Energy Start Certified New Home requirements, as we...
Rohnert Park Gas Station Ban
In March 2022, Rohnert Park adopted an ordinance that effectively and permanently prohibit construction of new gas stations. The ordinance will take effect in April. Enacting the ordinance will make R...
Report, Strategies for Engaging Community: Developing Better Relationships Through Bike Share
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NATCO) has released best practice guidance for communities engaging in micro-mobility initiatives, like bike sharing.
Honolulu Plastic Ban
Honolulu’s Bill 40, Relating to Plastic (2019), has been called one of the strongest single-use plastic ban in the nation. It was approved in December 2019. This law bans nearly all takeout plastic ov...
East Greenwich NJ’s Solar Zoning in Historic Districts
East Greenwich NJ’s zoning code allows solar panels and wind turbines to be constructed in a historical district if the use conforms to setback and height restrictions.
Vernon CT’s tax exemption for renewable energy systems
Vernon CT’s Code of Ordinances (2011) provides a tax exemption for the value of a renewable energy system attached to property that exceeds the amount of such property with conventional energy systems...
Boulder CO’s SmartGridCity Project
Xcel Energy embarked on a large-scale project known as SmartGridCity in 2008, including installing two- way fiber-optic communication technology and smart meters for one quarter of the population. The...
Model Transit-Oriented District Overlay Zoning Ordinance
Community Design + Architecture Inc. has developed a Model Transit-Oriented District Overlay Zoning Ordinance to assist jurisdictions in development of Transit-Oriented District codes.
Model Code for Geothermal Permitting on Long Island
The Suffolk County Planning Commission (SCPC) decided to develop a fast-track permitting process for geothermal systems as it had previously implemented for solar and wind systems. The final code was ...
Chicago Transit-Serving Zoning Incentives
Chicago’s Zoning Code provides incentives for transit-served locations, which encourages developments within a specified radius of a transit hub by offering developers incentives, including the allowa...
Evanston IL Healthy Buildings Ordinance
The City of Evanston, Illinois, is the first government to pass a Building Performance Standard in 2025. The HBO will cover commercial and multifamily buildings over 20,000 square feet, condominiums o...
San Francisco’s Transit-Only Streets
San Francisco has transit-only lanes on 30 miles of streets and plans to add 20 more miles in the next decade. It has even highlighted some busy lanes with red paint to make them more visible to drive...
Massachusetts Complete Streets Funding Program
Massachusetts has adopted a Complete Streets Funding Program that provides localities with funds for technical assistance and project construction.
DC’s Solar for All Program
The Renewable Portfolio Standard Expansion Amendment Act of 2016 (D.C. Law 21-154) established the District of Columbia’s Solar for All program. Pursuant to the Act, Solar for All is funded by the Ren...
NYC Diesel Emissions Standards on City Funded Projects
NYC Code requires that all contractors working on city-funded projects use emissions control devices meeting certain minimum emission standards on diesel-powered nonroad equipment.
New Buildings Institute Zero Net Energy Building Action Plan
New Buildings Institute has developed action paths for jurisdictions to support a long term commitment to Zero Net Energy (ZNE) Buildings.
Austin Drops Parking Requirements for New Development
In November 2023, Austin TX became the largest city in the country to stop requiring new developments to have a set amount of parking. Effected property types include single-family homes, apartment bu...
Pace Resource Guide on Land Use Planning for Solar Energy
The Pace Land Use Law Center has published a Resource Guide on Land Use Planning for Solar Energy, which describes how a municipality may authorize a task force, engage the community, and adopt local ...
Building Electrification Primer for City-Utility Coordination
The Building Electrification Primer for City-Utility Coordination was written to support cities in cultivating effective partnerships with utilities to accelerate the transition to building electrific...
Wheat Ride CO Mixed-Use Zoning
Wheat Ridge’s Code of Ordinances establishes a mixed-use commercial zone district, designed to encourage medium to high density mixed use development, and a mixed-use neighborhood district, designed t...
Zero Waste Design Guidelines
In support of NYC’s goal of sending zero waste to landfills by 2030, the Zero Waste Design Guidelines surveyed architects, planners, developers, city officials, waste haulers, recycling experts and bu...
LPDD Model Executive Order: Green Fleets
This LPDD model executive order can be used to establish a state or local “Green Fleet Transition” program. The Model Order begins with the identification of some of the benefits that would result fro...
Denver’s Waste No More Ballot Measure
Via ballot measure in the 2022 midterms, Denver voters endorsed new rules mandating that large apartment buildings, restaurants and a broad range of other commercial businesses be required to recycle ...
Crested Butte’s Building Codes Update
In August 2022, Crested Butte became the first municipality in Colorado to require that new residential and commercial construction be all electric, not utilizing natural gas for heating, hot water he...
DC’s PACE program
DC’s PACE program is designed to function through the issuance of pooled bonds under the National Capital Energy Fund.
Report, City Policy Framework for Dramatically Reducing Embodied Carbon
This 2020 policy framework from the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance is intended for cities and other government bodies to develop a strategy, action plan and policies they can adopt to dramatically red...
Palo Alto’s EV-Readiness Ordinance
A 2014 Ordinance amending Palo Alto’s building code requires that all new single-family residences and commercial buildings (including multifamily dwellings, mixed-use facilities, and hotels) be “EV r...
Sierra Club Model State and Local Policies to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Adoption
The Sierra Club’s 2018 report, Model State & Local Policies to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Adoption, surveys policies including vehicle rebates and tax credits, government fleet mandates, consumer edu...
Madison’s Mixed-Use Zoning
Madison’s Code of Ordinances establishes several mixed-use districts, including a “limited mixed-use district” that allows for particularly small scale commercial development in residential areas.
Cape Light Compact
The oldest and largest CCA example in Massachusetts is the Cape Light Compact, which buys electricity and runs energy efficiency programs for all the towns on Cape Cod plus Martha’s Vineyard. The Comp...
Minneapolis Floor Area Ratio Premiums for Efficiency
Minneapolis provides floor area ratio premiums in the downtown district for buildings that increase their energy efficiency by a minimum of 35% compared to the Minnesota energy code. Different levels ...
Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network
The Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network provides member communities with access to independent, experienced and affordable resources that place local governments and their residents and busi...
Windsor’s all-electric reach code
Windsor CA adopted a reach code in September 2019 that mandates all-electric new construction for all new low-rise residential buildings. This includes single-family homes, multi-family below four sto...
Spur TX’s Tiny Homes Ordinance
Spur, Texas adopted an ordinance that generally permits tiny homes in the city by right, however, individuals need a variance to have a tiny home in seven of the city’s subdivisions. Tiny homes on whe...
San Antonio’s Deconstruction Ordinance
With the approval of this ordinance, San Antonio became the largest city in the country to ensure that valuable materials are salvaged for reuse instead of crushed and landfilled. The ordinance went i...
Santa Monica Energy Code
Santa Monica’s Energy Code (2016) requires all new buildings use 10%-15% less energy than allowed by the 2016 California Energy Code, and achieve an energy design rating of zero. It requires solar ene...
San Francisco’s Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance
San Francisco’s Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance covers businesses, governmental entities, multi-family or commercial residences, and individuals. All covered persons must sort their waste...
Berkeley’s Energy Savings Ordinance
Berkeley’s Energy Savings Ordinance (No. 7397) (2015) requires energy assessments at time of sale for medium, small, and single family buildings, and will phase-in all buildings by building size and y...
Zero Code Project
The Zero Code project combines a model building energy standard with a policy approach to require the adoption of renewable energy to projects to offset designed energy use to achieve zero net energy ...
Tracker on Gas Powered Lawn Equipment Regulation
PIRG has launched a new tracker showcasing a variety of policies from around the country regulating gas powered lawn equipment or incentivizing the use of electric alternatives. In a map display, it l...
California’s Sustainable Planning Best Practice Case Studies
The California Strategic Growth Council highlights a number of local best practices in sustainable planning.
San Jose Drops Parking Requirements
As of March 2023, the City of San Jose removed parking minimums for all uses citywide.
LPDD Model Law: Designation of Parking Spaces for Electric Vehicles and Installation of Electric Charging Devices
The LPDD team has prepared a model law on EV parking spaces that requires the installation in public accommodations of electric vehicle charging stations at parking spaces designated for the exclusive...
New Orleans EV-Charging Permits on Rights-of-Way
The New Orleans Municipal Code § 146-563 allows EV owners to apply for a permit to install charging infrastructure on a sidewalk, or right-of-way, under certain conditions, in order to encourage EV pu...
Model Code for Accessory Dwelling Units
The editors of www.accessorydwellings.org drafted a model zoning code that ensures ADUs are small and discreet, while also providing enough latitude in their creation that they actually get built. Com...
Lexington MA Accessory Dwelling Unit Zoning
Lexington MA’s zoning code permits Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) so long as they are located in the principle dwelling, the gross floor area does not exceed 1,000 square feet, and there are no more ...
Bay City MI Code on Solar in Historic Districts.
The Bay City Michigan Code approves of solar systems in historic districts and provides guidelines for the installation of solar panels on rooflines. The historic district commission must approve any ...
Orlando Benchmarking and Auditing Requirements
In addition to benchmarking requirements, Orlando’s Ordinance 2016-64 requires buildings owners to conduct an energy audit or retrocommissioning every five years, unless their building receives an ENE...
California Green Leasing Report and Toolkit
The California Green Leasing Report(and 2017 update) provides information to policymakers and market participants about the role green leasing plays in achieving the benefits of green buildings. The r...
Urban Land Institute Reports: Growing Cooler, Moving Cooler
The Urban Land Institute published an analysis in 2007 titled Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, concluding that more compact development can decrease driving rates ...
San Francisco’s Resolution to Divest from Coal and Tar Sands Insurers
San Francisco passed a resolution in 2018 to screen municipal insurers for investments in and underwriting of coal and tar sands projects and to end relationships with insurers that do not have a full...
Montgomery’s County’s Natural Gas Ban
In November, 2022, Montgomery County, Maryland unanimously passed building decarbonization legislation, making Montgomery County the first county on the East Coast to ban natural gas as a source of he...
Report, Financing Clean Energy: Cost-Effective Tools for State Compliance With the Clean Power Plan
The Union of Concerned Scientists published a 2015 report, Financing Clean Energy: Cost-Effective Tools for State Compliance With the Clean Power Plan, which highlights the potential of “green banks” ...
Baltimore County Cluster Zoning
Baltimore County’s zoning regulations establish several zones designed to preserve rural resources. Cluster development is required in some cases for the subdivision of land in certain “Resource Conse...
Miami’s fee reimbursement for LEED buildings
Miami Beach’s Code of Ordinances (2017) requires developers of new construction over 7,000 square feet to pay a fee of up to 5% of the construction cost (which fee is used by the city for climate miti...
San Francisco Natural Gas Ban in New Construction
In Nov. 2020, San Francisco passed legislation banning natural gas in new buildings. New residential and commercial building construction will be required to utilize all-electric power, starting with ...
San Francisco’s Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance
In addition to benchmarking requirements, San Francisco’s Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance requires ASHRAE Level 2 energy audits every five years for commercial buildings ove...
NYSERDA reports, New York Solar Guidebook and Wind Energy Guidebook
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has published a New York Solar Guidebook for Local Governments, which includes chapters on best practices in utilizing Special Use Permits ...
Report, CCA in Massachusetts
The UNH Sustainability Institute’s report, CCA in Massachusetts, analyzes case studies, the use of RECs for CCA, size and cost considerations, and the political tensions and process that animates the ...
Columbia MO’s Energy Efficiency Incentives
Columbia MO’s Code of Ordinances Chapter 27, Article III, Div. 8 provides a number of financial based energy efficiency programs including grants, rebates, and loans, which apply to residential and co...
Austin’s Universal Recycling Ordinance
Austin’s Universal Recycling Ordinance includes organic waste requirements, which took effect in October 2016. Under the Ordinance, covered “food enterprises” must provide organics diversion services....
Stoughton WI small wind ordinance
Stoughton’s Code of Ordinances (2009) provides specific setback and height requirements for small wind energy systems.
Los Angeles’ 2035 100% Clean Energy Target
In September 2021, the Los Angeles City Council voted to transition to 100% clean energy by 2035. The LA100 plan would see the LA Dept. of Water and Power, the nation’s largest public utility, replace...
Metro Portland’s Food Waste Diversion Ordinance
Portland OR’s metropolitan government approved a 2018 ordinance that requires certain businesses to separate and divert food waste. Metro’s Business Food Waste Requirement requires that local jurisdic...
Marin County’s Low Carbon Concrete Code
The Marin County, California Low Carbon Concrete Code was the first in the nation to address the negative environmental externalities of concrete when it added a mandatory low carbon concrete specific...
Austin TX’s RPS
Austin TX’s RPS goal is 65% of electricity consumption from renewables by 2025, which is among the most ambitious targets in the country. Within the RPS, the City Council approved a solar carve-out in...
Cotati Gas Station Ban
In June 2022, Cotati, California passed this legislation to prohibit new service station facilities that story, convey, or dispense fossil fuels, citywide.
Report, Program Design Considerations for Developing an On-Bill Financing Program
An assortment of Michigan nonprofits and NGOs prepared a primer specifically for utilities on offering on-bill repayment programs, explaining different program design options.
Hartford CT Renewable Energy Zoning
Hartford permits building-mounted solar and roof-mounted wind energy systems as an accessory structure by right within all jurisdictions, subject to use-specific regulations. Freestanding wind and sol...
Santa Monica Zero Emissions Delivery Zone
Santa Monica partnered with the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) to launch the country’s first Zero Emission Delivery Zone (ZEDZ) Pilot. The pilot ran through December 2022 and incentivized clea...
Amherst MA’s Cluster Development Rules
Amherst MA’s Zoning Bylaw provides a detailed ratio for “developed land” to “common land” in Amherst’s Cluster Developments. For every dwelling unit, the code requires 2,000 square feet of usable comm...
Newberry, FL Solar Zoning in Historic Districts
Newbury FL’s zoning code provides that land development regulation administrator may issue a certificate of appropriateness for the installation of solar panels on historic buildings; and that solar p...
Baltimore’s Mixed-Use Zoning
Baltimore’s zoning code was updated in 2017 to include mixed-use zoning districts. For example, an industrial mixed-use zoning districts may encourage the reuse of older buildings for light industrial...
Boston’s Residential Composting Program
In May 2022, Boston opened a curbside food waste collection program with rolling online enrollment. Food waste, collected with residents’ scheduled trash and recycling, will be sent to a private compo...
DC’s Law 22-257 (2019)
DC’s Law 22-257 (2019) increases the Renewable Portfolio Standard to 100% by 2032, and establishes a solar energy standard post 2032. In terms of qualifying resources, DC’s RPS allows for solar therma...
Bedford NY’s Solar Zoning Provisions
The Town of Bedford, New York allows solar energy collectors by-right in all districts. The solar energy collectors are designated as accessory buildings and structures and must comply with the buildi...
Denver EV-Ready Code
Section R-327 of the 2016 Denver Building and Fire Code Amendments provides that for new one- or two-family dwellings with a dedicated garage, the electric load should be designed to allow the residen...
Massachusetts DOER Model Zoning for the Regulation of Solar Energy Systems
The Massachusetts Dept. of Energy Resources prepared 2014 model zoning and accompanying guidance in order to assist Massachusetts cities and towns in establishing reasonable standards to facilitate de...
Nashville Retrofit Requirements for Government Buildings
Nashville’s Ordinance BL2019-1599 establishes: An energy retrofit program across at least 9% of metro government-owned buildings by square footage between 2021 and 2024, with a goal of achieving at le...
Philadelphia’s Building Energy Efficiency Tuneup Requirement
Philadelphia’s Bill 190600 (2019) mandates all non-residential buildings over 50,000 square foot get tune-ups to bring their energy and water systems to their highest efficiency, or submit a certifica...
Groundswell plastic foam ban list
Groundswell, a nonprofit community solar developer, maintains a list of communities across the US that have banned polystyrene foam products.
Berkeley Proposed Tax on Natural Gas in Large Buildings
In November 2024, residents of Berkeley, CA, will vote on a ballot measure that proposes taxing the owners of buildings of 15,000 square feet or larger based on the amount of natural gas consumed each...
Chicago’s Sustainable Development Policy
Chicago’s Sustainable Development Policy requires that applicable development projects earn at least 100 points by implementing select sustainable strategies. Points can be earned in the following cat...
San Francisco’s Better Roofs Ordinance
San Francisco’s Better Roofs Ordinance requires new buildings to have 15% of the roof space as solar panels or 30% of the roof space as a Living (green) Roof. The ordinance applies to buildings that a...
Philadelphia Climate Plan and Park Management
The City of Philadelphia has a tree planting and green infrastructure program that will reduce heat island effects and increase biomass. The plan includes programs for managing urban forests to accoun...
NYC’s geothermal screening tool
NYC’s Local Law No. 6 directed the city to develop a screening tool for determining whether a geothermal system may be cost-effective for a property.
Stoughton WI Renewable Zoning
In 2018, Stoughton WI enacted a local ordinance that allows solar and wind energy production, by-right, in every zoning district. The systems must comply with regulations and limitations set forth for...
LPDD Model Law: Biogas Zoning Ordinance
One of the challenges to biogas production is that production facilities are not readily classified under most existing zoning laws, which can slow project development and increase transaction costs f...
Model Ordinance Reducing the Use of Plastic Bags, Polystyrene, and Straws
Model local ordinance from Beyond Plastics banning the “plastics trifecta” – plastic bags, plastic straws and polystyrene – three of the biggest sources of single-use plastic pollution.
Seattle’s Deconstruction Ordinance
In Seattle, residential deconstruction permits have strict requirements: 20% minimum reuse of materials by weight, 50% minimum recycled/reused, 100% of concrete/asphalt/brick recycled/reused, and wast...
NYSERDA Model Solar Energy Local Law and Solar Guidebook for Local Governments
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has prepared a Model Solar Energy Local Law inform local officials on the processes of installing, operating, maintaining and decommissioni...
Boston’s Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance
Boston’s Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance (2013) requires that buildings report energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and water use to the city using Portfolio Manager (or an equival...
Report, Disposal Bans and Mandatory Recycling in the United States
The 2017 report from the Northeast Recycling Council catalogs disposal bans and mandatory recycling laws across all 50 states.
Orlando Ordinance 2016-64
In addition to benchmarking requirements, Orlando’s Ordinance 2016-64 requires buildings owners to conduct an energy audit or retrocommissioning every five years, unless their building receives an ENE...
San Francisco’s solar incentives
San Francisco’s Environment Code (2017) offers a series of incentives for residential installation of solar panels, including a rebate up to $500.00 per kWh. If the panels are installed by an individu...
Report, Building Electrification: How Cities and Counties Are Implementing Electrification Policies
The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project’s July 2020 report analyzes 12 case studies and surveys the different policy options before local communities before offering model code language on building el...
ELI report, State Enabling Legislation for Commercial-Scale Wind Power Siting and the Local Government Role
The Environmental Law Institute’s 2011 report, State Enabling Legislation for Commercial-Scale Wind Power Siting and the Local Government Role, addresses state and local responsibilities for siting wi...
NARUC report, Wind Energy & Wind Park Siting and Zoning Best Practices and Guidance for States
NARUC’s 2012 report, Wind Energy & Wind Park Siting and Zoning Best Practices and Guidance for States, summarizes the wind energy siting and zoning practices in all 50 states and the District of Colum...
Rural Electric Co-Op Bylaws
Co-oplaw.org catalogs electric co-op bylaws from around the country.
ABC report, Green Leasing
A Better City’s 2014 report, Green Leasing: An Effective Tenant/Landlord Strategy for Energy Efficiency, details how energy disclosure ordinances have increased green leasing adoption, and provides mo...
Seattle’s Executive Order 2020-01
Seattle’s Executive Order 2020-01, among other things, bans the use of natural gas and other fossil fuels in all new city-owned buildings, and calls for a plan to transition existing buildings away fr...
LPDD Model Law: Municipal Ordinance for Using Street Light Poles for Electric Vehicle Charging
The LPDD team proposes a model law to have municipalities use their street light poles to support Level Two electrical vehicle chargers. When municipalities convert street light poles to LED lights, t...
IMT Model Building Performance Standard Ordinance
The Institute for Market Transformation’s (IMT) model ordinance for a building performance standard (BPS) benefits from lessons learned from the four jurisdictions (District of Columbia, New York City...
GreenFinanceSF
Under San Francisco’s C-PACE program, known as “GreenFinanceSF”, (established 2011, updated 2016) commercial property owners can secure 100% financing for RE and EE improvements. Once the RE and EE im...
Menlo Park electrification reach code
Menlo Park’s electrification reach code requires all-electric new construction for all residential buildings (single-family and multifamily, including high-rise) as well as new commercial buildings. F...
Berkeley’s gas ban in new homes
Berkeley has banned the use of natural gas in low-rise residential buildings. As the California Energy Commission develops all-electric building standards for mid-rise, high-rise, and commercial build...
Boulder’s Universal Zero Waste Ordinance
Boulder’s Universal Zero Waste Ordinance require business owners, residential property owners, institutions (including educational and nonprofit organizations), and event permit holders in Boulder to ...
Reno’s Energy and Water Efficiency Program
In addition to benchmarking requirements, Reno’s Energy and Water Efficiency Program requires that all buildings not receiving an Energy Star score of at least 50 must conduct an energy audit and retr...
Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance
Charlotte is implementing a long-range plan that includes investing in light rail and bus rapid transit projects in five corridors, revising local land use provisions to guide growth, and providing in...
Report, A Low Cost Energy Future for Western Cooperatives
The Rocky Mountain Institute published a 2018 report, A Low Cost Energy Future for Western Cooperatives, which estimated that the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, (a partnership of 4...
Winder GA’s property tax exemption for solar
Winder’s Code of Ordinances (2017) exempts from property tax assessment all tangible property used for solar energy heating or cooling, consisting of equipment used to manufacture of solar energy syst...
Calistoga Gas Station Ban
In December 2021, the City of Calistoga prohibited new gas station land uses in all zoning districts and provided uniform and comprehensive regulations and development standards for modifications, mai...
Davis CA Reach Code
Davis passed its reach code in September of 2019, which requires higher energy efficiency standards and electrification readiness in mixed fuel buildings.
Seattle 2030 District
The Seattle 2030 District is an interdisciplinary public-private collaborative working to create a groundbreaking high-performance building district in downtown Seattle. The district’s goals include c...
LPDD Model Law: Curbside EV Charging and Reserved Parking Ordinance
Electric vehicle owners rely primarily on charging their vehicles at home on a daily basis. However, in some residential neighborhoods, residents do not have the ability to install a charger on their ...
Los Angeles’ zoning ordinances
Los Angeles’ zoning ordinances (2017) recently changed to disincentivize the spread of large single residences, or “McMansions.” The 2017 revisions gave a floor area ratio disincentive for ceilings hi...
Portland’s Walkable Communities Initiatives
In recent decades, Portland’s efforts to coordinate transportation investments and land use policies has resulted in a range of travel options, a revitalized downtown, and walkable, transit-oriented c...
Warwick RI’s tax exemption for renewable energy system.
Warwick RI’s Code of Ordinances (2017) creates a tax exemption for additional value added by a renewable energy system.
Denver’s Green Building Ordinance
Denver’s Green Building Ordinance requires new buildings, new additions to buildings and existing buildings with a certificate of occupancy that are 25,000 sf to have a cool roof and comply with one o...
Ann Arbor’s A2Zero Plan
Approved in June 2020, Ann Arbor’s A2Zero plan lays out an ambitious strategy to shift away from using fossil fuels and power the community with 100% renewable energy within 10 years, while significan...
FHA and DOT Report, Achieving Multimodal Networks
The Federal Highways Administration and Department of Transportation have issued a report illustrating how to apply the flexibility in current national guidelines to address common design challengers ...
L.A. County 100% Electric Bus Fleet Goal
L.A. County Metro’s Council adopted a 2017 motion establishing a goal of a 100% electric transit bus fleet by 2030 and tasking the transportation department with developing a roadmap.
San Diego Polystyrene and Plastic bans
San Diego’s Ordinance 21030 (2019) regulates products made from polystyrene and the distribution of certain single-use straws and utensils. Under the Ordinance, vendors may not distribute plastic stra...
National City CA’s Solar Zoning Zoning for Historic Buildings
National City, CA’s zoning code provides that solar panels on historic buildings should be installed in locations that are not visible from a public way, that run parallel to the original roofline, th...
Hinesburg VT’s Density Bonuses for Renewable Energy Installations
Hinesburg provides density bonuses to developers in exchange for providing public benefits that help further the goals expressed in the town plan, including renewable energy technology. Developers are...
Columbus Benchmarking Ordinance (2020)
Columbus OH’s Energy and Water Benchmarking and Transparency Ordinance (2020) requires new energy benchmarking, including requiring building owners to report data on building size, energy usage and ut...
Chicago Clean Fleet Ordinance
Chicago passed an ordinance requiring all contractors on city projects to have a certain clean fleet score.
ELI report, State Enabling Legislation for Commercial-Scale Wind Power Siting and Local Government Role
The Environmental Law Institute’s 2011 report, State Enabling Legislation for Commercial-Scale Wind Power Siting and the Local Government Role, addresses state and local responsibilities for siting wi...
Report, Examining the Potential for Agricultural Benefits from Pollinator Habitat at Solar Facilities in the United States
This 2018 report in Environmental Science and Technology identifies over 3,500 km2 of agricultural land near existing and planned US solar energy facilities that may benefit from increased pollination...
DC Green Bank
Washington DC enacted a green bank in 2018 through the Green Finance Authority Establishment Act.
Report, Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity Playbook
This resource is designed as a tool for program administrators at community-based organizations and government offices seeking to establish, improve, or expand building energy upgrade programs for low...
Portland’s Proposed Carbon Tax
In November 2020, Portland proposed a Healthy Climate Fee, which would establish a $25 per-ton fee on GHG emissions from facilities in Portland with emissions of 2,500 metric tons of CO2-e (carbon dio...
Watertown MN’s solar ordinance
Watertown MN’s Code of Ordinances (2016) creates a set of guidelines specifically for the placement of home solar systems.
Seattle’s Heating Oil Tax
Through Council Bill 119607, the city imposed a new tax on the sale of home heating oil, saying the action will combat climate change by encouraging residents to move quicker to clean heating systems....
The Zero Emission Vehicle Municipal Handbook
The Zero Emission Vehicle Municipal Handbook (2017), prepared by the Rhode Island Office of Statewide Planning, outlines issues in land use and parking policy related to the integration of EVs. The Ha...
Charleston’s Zoning Ordinance
Charleston’s Zoning Ordinance (2015) grants developers height and density bonuses for achieving a certain number of incentive points for efficiency measures, including green roofs and achieving LEED c...
WegoWise database
WegoWise maintains a database of US city benchmarking ordinances.
RPC’s Model Accessory Dwelling Code
The Rockingham Planning Commission developed a model accessory dwelling code, including detailed explanations for specific provisions contained in a model ordinance.
RAP Report, Principle of Smart Heat Electrification
RAP’s 2020 report surveys policies that impact smart heat electrification, including electricity pricing, energy efficiency obligations, carbon intensity standards, financial support schemes, building...
New York Model Zoning for Battery Storage
NYSERDA published this model law, intended to help New York local government officials adopt legislation and regulations to responsibly accommodate battery energy storage systems in their communities....
San Francisco’s EV Ready Ordinance
San Francisco’s EV Ready Ordinance (2017) requires all new residential and commercial buildings to configure 10% of parking spaces to be “turnkey ready” for an EV charger installation, and an addition...
DC’s PACE Program
Pursuant to DC’s PACE program, the initial investment is provided by private lenders, and the loan is repaid through an assessment on property taxes. D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment admini...
Medford, MA CCA
The Medford Community Electricity Aggregation program for residents and businesses begins in December 2019 and will go through December 2022. It allows Medford customers to “opt-up” into a 100% renewa...
Surfrider database on Plastic Bag Bans and Fee, Polystyrene Ordinances
The Surfrider Foundation maintains a list of plastic bag bans and fees as well as polystyrene ordinances from across the US and internationally.
Los Angeles’ Existing Buildings Energy and Water Efficiency Program
In addition to benchmarking requirements, Los Angeles’ Existing Buildings Energy and Water Efficiency Program requires public, non-residential, and multifamily buildings to conduct energy and water au...
Seattle City Light On-Bill Financing Program
Seattle City Light partnered with the local government and Craft3, a nonprofit CDFI, in 2011 to establish an on-bill repayment program that supports residential energy efficiency upgrades in Seattle. ...
Seattle’s Building Energy Benchmarking and Reporting Program
In addition to benchmarking requirements, Seattle’s Building Energy Benchmarking and Reporting Program (2010) requires “tune-ups” of nonresidential buildings greater than or equal to 50,000 gross squa...
San Mateo’s electric reach code
San Mateo’s electric reach code does not require all-electric new construction, but incentivizes it through increased energy efficiency requirements for new buildings that use gas. Office buildings wi...
Siting Renewable Generation: The Northeast Perspective
Energy Innovation LLC published an issue paper on siting renewables, particularly focusing on the land-constrained Northeast region, and proposed several recommendations for balancing local and state-...
Macarthur report, Energy Efficiency as a Tool for Preserving Affordable Rental Housing
The MacArthur Foundation’s commissioned report, Energy Efficiency as a Tool for Preserving Affordable Rental Housing, outlined public-sector policies for energy efficiency in multifamily rental housin...
NREL’s SolarAPP
In late 2020, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released a no-cost, no-touch software system for cities and counties across the country to streamline rooftop solar permits, called SolarA...
Vermont EV Report
The Vermont Public Utility Commission issued a report that describes ways to promote the ownership and use of EVs in Vermont. The report sets forth extensive recommendations for actions to be taken by...
Sabin Center’s model small-scale solar-siting ordinance
Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law has prepared a model small-scale solar-siting ordinance. The ordinance would govern all new solar energy systems of up to 10 kilowatts, and in...
Report, Defending and Advancing Climate Justice Policies
This January 2025 report from Just Solutions aims to illuminate the potential threats to environmental and climate justice under the second Trump Administration, drawing on the first Trump Administrat...
D.C.’s Net Zero New Building Codes for 2026
By 2026, all new buildings and substantial renovations in D.C. will have to be net-zero construction under legislation passed unanimously by the D.C. Council in July 2022. The legislation does not its...
District Energy St. Paul
In 1983, the City of St. Paul granted a franchise to District Energy St. Paul, Inc. to operate a district energy system within St. Paul and sell the energy to residents of the City. District Energy re...
Minneapolis floor area ratio bonuses for efficiency
The Minneapolis Code of Ordinances (2016) provides floor area ratio premiums in the downtown district for buildings that increase their energy efficiency by a minimum of 35% compared to the Minnesota ...
Report, A New Way Forward: Envisioning a Transportation System Without Carbon Pollution
The Frontier Group released a 2016 report titled A New Way Forward: Envisioning a Transportation System Without Carbon Pollution, which analyzes steps including the design of more dense, walkable comm...
Portland ME bag fee
In 2014, Portland passed a 5 cent fee on paper and plastic bags.
Bloomington MN’s Mixed-Use Zoning in Transit-Oriented Districts
Bloomington’s zoning code promotes mixed-use areas close to transit services, combining elements of both minimum requirements and incentive-based development practices. The ordinance requires that onl...
Report, Strategies for Massachusetts Municipalities to Implement Net Zero Building Mandates
This 2019 paper from the Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic at Harvard examines legal complexities that Massachusetts towns and cities must navigate when mandating reductions of greenhouse gas e...
Walsenburg CO’s Tiny House Variances
Walsenburg CO Ordinance No. 1045 grants authority to approve variances to minimum size requirements so that houses less than 500 square feet and permanently attached to the ground can be constructed i...
Model Municipal Ordinance on Advancing Community Composting
The Environmental Law Institute (ELI), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) developed a model municipal ordinance to advance community composting....
San Carlos EV Charging Density Bonuses
The city of San Carlos provides developers with a density bonus for providing parking with EV charging. Under Section 18.05.030 of the municipal code, developers are allowed to exceed the maximum allo...
Pella IA’s Bright Energy Solutions
Pella’s Bright Energy Solutions (BES) offers multiple incentives to residents for the purchase of energy efficient appliances and other products. These incentives can include energy efficient washers ...
Portland’s Low Carbon Concrete Initiative
The City of Portland’s 2016 Sustainable Supply Chain Analysis identified construction services as the top spend category contributing to the City’s supply chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Within ...
Schaumberg IL Renewable Energy Zoning and Handbook
Schaumberg Illinois saw a 3,000% increase in solar permits following a code revision process that saw them simplify the requirements for solar permitting. The town has created a resource guide that ex...
Sustainable Land Use Code Project’s 2014 Model Land Use Regulations
The Sustainable Land Use Code Project’s 2014 Model Land Use Regulations includes a model transit-oriented development code, showing how to create subdistricts, mandate pedestrian frontage, use standar...
California’s UrbanFootprint tool
California’s UrbanFootprint tool is a web-based software platform built to help planners and policy makers determine the best scenarios and outcomes for their communities. It makes comprehensive data,...
Orlando Benchmarking Ordinance
Orlando’s Code of Ordinances (2016) requires benchmarking and, in some cases, audits and retrocommissioning. All covered properties, City-owned properties exceeding 10,000 sf and non-city owned proper...
San Francisco’s Live/Work Units Zoning
San Francisco’s municipal code allows live/work units where at least fifty percent of total floor area is used for work activities and there are two or fewer non-resident employees.
Des Moines WA’s Accessory Living Quarters Zoning
Des Moines WA’s zoning code permits one accessory living quarter (ALQ), at least 350 square feet of living space, per residential lot. ALQs help increase neighborhood densities, which diminishes deman...
EDF Report, Accelerating Zero Emissions Delivery
This white paper introduces the concept of a Zero-Emissions Delivery Zone (ZED Zone), a new innovative financing model that can accelerate commercial vehicle electrification. Taking a primarily busine...
Montgomery County, MD Green Bank
The Montgomery County Council unanimously passed Bill 18-15 in 2015, which called for the creation of an independent non-profit to serve as the County’s Green Bank. The Montgomery County Green Bank wa...
Cheshire CT’s property tax exemptions for solar heating or cooling
Cheshire CT’s Code of Ordinances (2017) provides property tax exemptions for solar heating or cooling systems; those wanting to qualify must apply and the exemption is good for 15 years after construc...
Brisbane electric reach code
In 2019, Brisbane passed a mandatory all electric reach code for new construction. There are exemptions for cooking appliances, but the code requires pre-wiring throughout the building so a transition...
Grand Rapids Home Occupation Zoning
Grand Rapids zoning code permits home occupations with a focus on preserving the character of the neighborhood and the residential quality of the home. Grand Rapids also permits live/work units on “re...
Boulder’s SmartRegs Program
Boulder’s SmartRegs program is a 2010 building performance standard that requires all rental housing in the city to demonstrate that it is about as efficient as buildings built to the 1999 Energy Code...
Seattle Green Fleet Program
Seattle Public Utilities plans to use a fossil fuel-free, primary collection fleet by early 2020. The SPU “Green Fleet” will be made up of close to 200 contractor trucks powered by electricity, renewa...
Universal Model Building Code Language for Cool Roofs
This 2012 universal model code language from the Global Cool Cities Alliance project defines key terms, measurement protocols and procedures, and calls for cool roof performance requirements in line w...
Report, Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles
This April 2024 report from the Sabin Center examines 33 of the most pervasive false claims about solar energy, wind energy, and electric vehicles, tackling such popular topics as the mineral requirem...
Westchester Power
Westchester Power is a CCA program initiated and implemented by Sustainable Westchester Inc. on behalf of member municipalities that have chosen to participate in the program (including 41 of 44 munic...
Park City Net Zero Energy Performance Requirements
In 2017, the City Council of Park City voted unanimously to approve a net-zero energy performance requirement for all new and renovated municipal buildings and facilities, using the US DOE’s net zero ...
NRDC’s Food Matters Pilot
The Food Matters project at NRDC partners with cities to achieve meaningful reductions in food waste through comprehensive policies and programs. The project is currently partnering with city agencies...
Hennepin County MN’s Commercial Organics Recycling Ordinance
Hennepin County’s commercial organics recycling ordinance requires certain businesses to divert food scraps for beneficial use, including donation for human consumption and diversion of food scraps fo...
C40 Mayors’ Agenda for a Green and Just Recovery
This report sets out the C40 Task Force mayors’ collective vision for a green and just recovery, and the shared principles and ambitious actions for achieving it. The report identifies the key city ac...
Sebastopol Gas Station Ban
Passed in April 2022, this ordinance prohibits new fossil fuel service stations as well as the expansion of the fossil fuel infrastructure of existing gasoline / service stations in Sebastopol, Califo...
Milwaukee Shines
Milwaukee Shines is a program for affordable financing to purchase solar panels, which coordinates group buys of renewable energy generation systems, and provides other cost reducing incentives.
Schaumberg IL District Energy System Zoning
Schaumburg, IL explicitly encourages the safe, effective, and efficient development of district energy systems (DESs) in its zoning code, permitting both commercial and residential construction of DES...
Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance Innovation Fund
The Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance Innovation Fund was created in 2015 to invest in high-potential, city-led projects that develop, test, implement and amplify deep decarbonization strategies and prac...
LPDD Model Law: Local Ordinance Adopting NFPA Hydrogen Technologies Code
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are one of the most promising technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty vehicles (e.g., trucks and buses). Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles face a numbe...
LPDD Model Law: EV-Ready Commercial Building Code
This model law would require new or significantly altered commercial, industrial, or multi-family residential buildings to be equipped with the installation of Level 2 electric vehicle supply equipmen...
New York’s “City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality” Initiative
The New York City Council approved the “City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality” plan in December 2023, a set of citywide zoning changes making it easier to install a variety of distributed energy resources...
Kenai AK’s property tax exemption for renewables
Kenai Peninsula Borough AK’s Code of Ordinances (2018) provides that residential renewable energy systems are exempt from real property tax, though residents must file an application to be exempt.
LPDD Model Resolution: Local Resolution in Support of a Circular Economy
A circular economy is an economic system that minimizes resource extraction and reduces resource use and waste by ensuring that all resources cycle indefinitely. In a circular economy, products and se...
Santa Monica electrification reach code
Santa Monica’s electrification reach code applies to all new construction (residential and commercial). The ordinance does not require all-electric new construction, but encourages it by requiring add...
Marin County Green Building ordinance
Marin’s updated county code was voted on in September, 2019. It offers 3 updated compliance pathways: one for all electric construction, one for limited mixed fuel (gas stoves) construction, and mixed...
Report, Promoting the Practice of Deconstruction
This document highlights 12 existing US municipalities’ deconstruction efforts and summarizes important considerations when shaping how a municipality will promote deconstruction.
Sustainable CUNY’s Model Solar Energy Law and Toolkit
Sustainable CUNY’s Model Solar Energy Law and Toolkit (2016) was designed to help communities adopt zoning provisions that promote solar energy systems while protecting community character and the env...
Montgomery County MD Electric School Bus Agreement
In February 2021, the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Board of Education (Maryland) approved a contract with Highland Electric Transportation, a provider of turnkey electric fleet solutions, t...
Alameda County Bag Ban
The Alameda County Waste Management Authority adopted its ordinance banning plastic bags and placing a 10 cent price requirement on paper and reusable bags in January of 2012. It has been expanded in ...
Salt Lake City Charging Station Policies
Salt Lake City charges no fee to use a number of Level 2 charging stations installed around the city. Level 3 charging stations are subject to a $2.00 fee per charging session plus 21 cents/kWh.
Morgan Hill gas prohibition ordinance
Morgan Hill adopted a gas prohibition ordinance in 2019. Its gas-free commitment is similar to Berkeley’s in that it’s based on health and safety grounds, but it goes a step further by immediately imp...
Georgia Model Solar Zoning Ordinance
This 2018 model ordinance, published by Emory Law School’s Turner Environmental Law Clinic, Georgia Institute of Technology’s Strategic Energy Institute, and the University of Georgia, provides a comp...
Minneapolis Renewable Energy Zoning
Minneapolis MN’s Zoning Code Chapter 535 Articles X and XII permit the production of both wind and solar energy in all zoning districts.
Annapolis, MD Clean Energy Loan Program
The Annapolis Clean Energy Program finances and encourages energy efficiency projects and renewable energy projects with an electric generating capacity of not more than one hundred kilowatts. On the ...
Hastings-on-Hudson’s Low Carbon Concrete Resolution
On May 18, 2020 the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson passed a resolution committing the local government to promoting the use of low embodied carbon concrete products in building...
NYC Legislative Package on E-Bikes
In March 2023, NYC unveiled a Micromobility Action Plan focused on four key areas: Promoting and incentivizing safe battery use, increasing education and outreach to electric micromobility users, advo...
Schaumburg IL’s district energy zoning provisions
Schaumburg IL’s zoning code (2016) explicitly encourages the safe, effective, and efficient development of district energy systems in its zoning code, permitting both commercial and residential constr...
West Lake Hills TX Solar Zoning
West Lake Hills, TX, Code of Ordinances § 22.03.009 allows the use of solar energy devices in all zones.
Washington DC’s Green Area Ratio Rule
Washington DC’s Green Area Ratio Rule requires all new buildings that require a Certificate of Occupancy must meet the appropriate Green Area Ratio (GAR) based on the zoning district. The GAR is the r...
NRDC Report, Tackling Food Waste in Cities
NRDC’s 2019 report, Tackling Food Waste in Cities: A Policy and Program Toolkit, is aimed at city policymakers and agency staff nationwide that are seeking to start a program or implement policies to ...
Houston’s Solar Zoning in Historic Districts
Houston’s zoning code permits construction of solar panels in historic districts on the front part of the roof upon the grant of a certificate of appropriateness. On the rear part of the roof no certi...
Carlsbad CA’s electrification reach code
Carlsbad’s electrification reach code requires heat pump water heaters or solar thermal water heating in new low-rise (below four stories) residential construction.
Form-Based Codes Institute
The Form-Based Codes Institute (FBCI) is a professional organization dedicated to advancing the understanding and use of form-based codes. Form-based codes focus on matching scale of development, allo...
Columbus Community Aggregation Ballot Measure
In November 2020, Columbus, Ohio voted on the ballot measure Issue 1, which would start a citywide community choice aggregation program, giving officials the right to purchase energy in bulk from loca...
New York’s Executive Order 88
New York’s Executive Order 88 requires that public buildings of more than 20,000 sf benchmark their energy consumption annually. Buildings that receive low scores are required to undergo ASHRAE Level ...
Californians Against Waste
Californians Against Waste is a non-profit environmental research and advocacy organization that identifies, develops, promotes and monitors policy solutions to pollution and conservation problems. Th...
South California’s NOx Rules for Commercial Food Ovens
In August 2023, California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District adopted a first-in-the-nation rule that aims to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from commercial food ovens in the Sou...
Chiply FL’s Cluster Zoning
Chiply FL’s cluster zoning rules require that cluster developments preserve fifty percent open space in exchange for reducing the minimum lot size from one dwelling unit per ten acres, to two dwelling...
Healdsburg electrification reach code
Healdsburg CA’s electrification reach code for new construction requires electrification for most appliances, but grants an exemption from electrification for gas cooking and fireplaces.
DOE Best Practice Guidelines for Residential PACE Financing
DOE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Residential PACE Financing covers programmatic choices including program scope and eligibility, consumer and lender protections, public recording and disclosure, inc...
San Anselmo LEED Requirements
The San Anselmo Code of Ordinances (2010) requires LEED certification for certain new construction and renovations. New construction between 2,000 and 4,999 square feet must meet any LEED standard, pr...
Petaluma Gas Station Ban
In March 2021, the Petaluma, CA City Council voted unanimously to prohibit the creation, expansion, reconstruction and relocation of gas stations, encouraging owners to transition to stations that ser...
Ithaca’s Energy Efficiency Retrofit and Thermal Load Electrification Program
In November 2021, the city of Ithaca, New York, voted to decarbonize and electrify buildings in the city by the end of the decade. Ithaca is the first U.S. city to establish such a plan, which the cit...
Sunnyvale’s Live/Work Unit Zoning
Sunnyvale’s Zoning Code permits live/work units in mixed use combining districts so long as no portion of the unit is rented or sold separately.
Salt Lake City Comprehensive Energy Management Executive Order
In addition to benchmarking requirements, the Comprehensive Energy Management of Salt Lake City Facilities Executive Order (2015) requires further energy audits, retrocommissioning, building operator ...
Houston’s Reimagined Network Plan
Houston overhauled its entire transit network in 2015, at no extra cost, focusing on maximizing ridership. Modifications included simpler lines and better connections, providing higher frequency servi...
Potrero Power Station Mixed-Use Project
In 2020, San Francisco approved a new development at the former Potrero Power Station. The new development, the Potrero Power Station Mixed-Use Project, will be a 29-acre sustainable community project...
Pearisburg VA’s property tax exemption for solar
Pearisburg, VA’s Code of Ordinances (2014) exempts certified solar energy equipment, facilities, and devices from property taxation. The amount of the exemption is determined by deducting the property...
Boulder Building and Performance Ordinance
The Boulder Building and Performance Ordinance (2015) requires owners of commercial and industrial buildings to: annually rate and report the energy use of their buildings; perform periodic energy ass...
Nature Report, Under-reporting of greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. cities
Decarbonization plans start with an accurate accounting of current GHG emissions. This 2021 Nature report highlights chronic ways in which US cities underestimate their GHG emissions. The report found...
Montgomery County’s Green Building Tax Credit
Montgomery County’s Bill 10-20 (2020) dramatically upgrades the Maryland county’s existing green building real property tax credit, prioritizing energy reduction in the name of GHG emission reduction,...
Complete Streets Coalition
Smart Growth America manages a national Complete Streets Coalition that calls for streets to be planned, designed, operated, and maintained to safely accommodate users of all modes of transportation.
San Jose Natural Gas Ban
In December 2020, San Jose became the largest city in the US to ban gas infrastructure from nearly all new construction. San Jose officials expect the gas ban will reduce the city’s carbon pollution b...
Jamestown RI Cluster Development
Jamestown RI’s zoning stipulates that, within three of the region’s largest zones, clustered development is required for any subdivision of land over five acres. The planning commission will only appr...
International Residential Code Model Tiny House Provisions
The 2018 International Residential Code’s Appendix Q is an optional provision for state and local governments that officially defines a tiny house and creates a construction code specific to the needs...
LPDD Model Law: Model Ordinance on Green Building Construction
This model ordinance would require that new non-residential and certain multifamily buildings with a gross floor area above 10,000 sf (or other size chosen by the municipality) be constructed to a sta...
San Jose’s reach code and gas ban in new homes
In September 2019, San Jose City Council approved a building reach code ordinance that encourages building electrification and energy efficiency, requires solar-readiness on nonresidential buildings, ...
NYC’s Green Roofs Policy
Local laws 92 and 94 of 2019 established NYC’s green roofs requires. New buildings and existing buildings undergoing major renovations in specific occupancy groups defined in the New York City Buildin...
Pima County’s Net-Zero Energy Building Standard
Pima County’s Net-Zero Energy Building Standard, while not imposing legal requirements, provides tools and calculators to property owners and developers to assess energy needs and design net-zero ener...
Report, Model State & Local Policies to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Adoption
The Sierra Club’s 2018 report, Model State & Local Policies to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Adoption, surveys policies including vehicle rebates and tax credits, government fleet mandates, consumer edu...
Atlanta EV-Readiness Ordinance
Ordinance 17-O-1654 requires all new residential homes and public parking facilities to accommodate EVs. Twenty percent of the spaces in all new commercial and multi-family parking structures and all ...
Atlanta Sales Tax Increases for Transit Expansion
In 2016, Atlanta voters approved a pair of sales tax increases that are projected to raise $300 million over five years and another $2.5 billion over 40 years to fund transit expansion and enhancement...
San Francisco’s Green Building Code
San Francisco’s Green Building Code (2017) requires new residential buildings to be installed with solar energy systems that meet a minimum requirement for per foot energy production. The San Francisc...
DC’s MEDSIS proceeding
The District commenced a Modernizing the Energy Delivery System for Increased Sustainability (MEDSIS) in 2015, which, in Phase 2, considered separate tracks related to data and information access and ...
Santa Cruz Natural Gas Ban
Effective July 1, 2020, all construction permit applications for new buildings in the city must submit a declaration that their design is “Natural Gas-Free.”
Alameda County Municipal Fleet Purchases
Alameda County led a collective purchase of 90 EVs for ten county and municipal public fleets. The aggregate procurement resulted in the purchase of 64 Ford Focus EV sedans at $31,361 per vehicle and ...
Montgomery County’s Proposed BEPS (2021)
In July 2021, the Montgomery County, MD, Executive proposed new legislation (Bill 16-21) that will expand the number of buildings covered by the County’s Benchmarking Law and require the use of less e...
Model Compost Procurement Policy
Composting is an effective way to reduce food waste in cities, by turning food scraps into a natural soil amendment that can be used in city gardens and landscaping and improve soil health and water r...
El Paso Live-Work Flex Units Zoning
El Paso’s code of ordinances allows live-work flex units divided into two categories: restricted-only units for artisans or professionals with no more than one employee and two customers at any time; ...
Grow Solar Local Government Toolkits and Model Ordinances
Grow Solar Toolkits are a set of resources to assist city, county, community and electric utility leaders in the implementation of solar program best practices. They provide advice on permitting, plan...
IMT Green Leasing Resource Library
The Institute for Market Transformation’s resource library contains a variety of think pieces and green leasing case studies from across the United States.
NYC Commercial Waste Zones Act (2019)
NYC’s Commercial Waste Zones Act (2019) will establish one designated waste hauler per city zone, which should incentivize private waste haulers and commercial businesses to sharply reduce the amount ...
Evansville ESPC
Evansville and Johnson Controls completed a contract for deep energy efficiency retrofits, valued at $39M initial investment, with a 20 year payback. The project addresses lighting, HVAC, controls, va...
Portland’s EcoRoof Requirements
Portland’s Ecoroof policy stipulates that new buildings with a net building area of 20,000 square feet or more must have an ecoroof that covers 100% of the building area (with exceptions). At least 50...
NYC’s Benchmarking, Auditing, and Retrocommissioning Requirements
NYC Local Laws 133 (2016), 33 (2018), and 87 (2009) establish benchmarking, auditing, and retrocommissioning requirements for buildings in the city. NYC’s Local Law 133 (2016) requires owners of large...
LPDD Model Law: EV Ready Building Code for One- and Two-Family Homes
To meet the EV penetration goals identified in the LPDD text, every garage or parking structure, be it residential, commercial, or industrial, being built or significantly altered should be designed a...
Randolph County Pollinator-Friendly Solar Ordinance
Solar energy ordinance that includes a pollinator-friendly provision ahead of construction of Indiana’s largest solar farm. The new ordinance includes a land stewardship provision requiring the ground...
Bellingham WA Building Electrification Ordinance
In February 2022, Bellingham City Council approved an ordinance to require new commercial buildings and new apartment buildings more than four stories high to use electricity for heating and water hea...
San Luis Obispo’s Clean Energy Choice Program
an Luis Obispo’s Clean Energy Choice Program uses disincentives, including fees, to discourage natural gas use in new residential construction.
New York City Gas Ban
In December 2021, NYC passed a mandate phasing out the combustion of fossil fuels in new buildings and accelerating the construction of all-electric buildings. The law, Intro. 2317, sets restrictions ...
Boston Transportation Improvement Program
The Boston Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Improvement Program, the region’s five-year transportation capital investment plan, uses GHG and VMT reductions as a factor in a...
Oakland EV Charging Ordinance
In December 2016, the City of Oakland passed Ordinance 13408, which was designed to accelerate the installation of vehicle chargers to meet demand. Builders in Oakland are now required to provide at l...
Los Angeles PACE program
In 2010, Los Angeles County began offering Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs to both Commercial (C-PACE) and Residential (R-PACE) owners. All improvements that can be permanently fixed to...
Climate Action Fund Ballot Measures
In November 2020, Denver as well as three California cities—Berkeley, Long Beach, and Albany — all considered ballot measures to create climate action funds. These funds would allocate the funding tow...
Fife WA’s Green Factor Policy
Fife’s Green Factor policy holds that in order to receive a project permit, new developments, redevelopments and construction sites must have a landscaping plan that achieves the green factor. Plans m...
Thurston County’s Planned Rural Residential Developments
Thurston County, WA’s Code of Ordinances allows landowners to apply to create a “Planned Rural Residential Development” (PRRD). PRRDs require the creation of a “resource parcel.” The size and use of t...
Wisconsin Model Wind Zoning Ordinance
Wisconsin has prepared a model wind zoning ordinance for municipalities, including terms for setbacks, limits on shadow flicker, and requirements for construction and operation.
Report, Guidelines for creating community-driven building retrofit programs
This report showcases how cities in the US can implement building decarbonization policies and programs in an equitable manner while also incorporating a broader set of community priorities and needs ...
TNC report, Accelerating Large-Scale Wind and Solar Energy in New York
The Nature Conservancy prepared a 2017 report, Accelerating Large-Scale Wind and Solar Energy in New York, which details recommendations for reforming the SEQRA process (NY’s NEPA), land use and plann...
Bethany Beach DE Solar Zoning
Bethany Beach DE’s zoning code permits the use of solar energy systems in all districts subject to minimal regulations.
Oregon’s Model Ordinance for Energy Projects
Oregon’s Model Ordinance for Energy Projects provides a guide for Oregon cities and counties on siting wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and cogeneration projects, electric power transmission and dist...
APA report, Planning for Solar Energy
The American Planning Association offers resources on planning and zoning for solar energy, including sample ordinances on topics such as solar access, solar siting, and solar energy systems. Their gu...
Mountain View’s reach code
Mountain View CA’s reach code requires electrification for new residential and commercial buildings. Mountain View’s ordinance is robust; there are no exemptions for gas stoves, fireplaces, or fire pi...
New York’s S03585
New York’s S03585 requires gas and electric utilities to make available to landlords or lessors, upon request of prospective tenants or lessees, information concerning gas and electric charges incurre...
Report, Docked or Dockless: Which Bike Share System is Right For You?
On Bike Share has prepared a white paper on bike share program deployment strategies as they relate to privately operated bike share programs on corporate/university campuses, and residential/commerci...
California’s Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Law
California’s Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Law (S.B. 375) requires MPOs to prepare strategies to meet GHG targets, and requires each MPO to develop a sustainable communities strategy ...
PACE Nation
PACE Nation is national non-profit organization that works to expand access to Property Assessed Clean Energy financing. They maintain a national database of PACE programs around the country.
Plug-in Electric Vehicle Policy Evaluation Rubric
The National Association of State Energy Officials published a Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) Policy Evaluation Rubric, which allows users to evaluate the strength and weaknesses of all PEV-related po...
Sabin Center’s Model Wind Siting Ordinance
Columbia University’s Sabin Center has produced a Model Wind Siting Ordinance, aimed at helping New York municipalities to enact a wind siting ordinance that encourages development while procedurally ...
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies report, Wind Power Siting, Incentives, and Wildlife Guidelines in the United States
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies prepared a report, Wind Power Siting, Incentives, and Wildlife Guidelines in the United States, which includes detailed summaries of nineteen states’ volu...
LPDD Model Law: Green Bank State and Local Legislation
Green banks are independent nonprofit, public, or quasi-public financial institutions that leverage public or philanthropic dollars – and government backing – to attract private capital to zero and lo...
Takoma Park’s Climate Emergency Response Framework
Takoma Park’s Climate Emergency Response Framework (2020) establishes the goals of becoming a fossil-free community by 2045, and demands the municipality develop plans to eliminate the use of fossil f...
NYC Congestion Pricing Program
The Central Business District Tolling Program, a congestion pricing proposal, was approved in 2019 as part of the New York State Budget. While pricing, exemptions, and other details of the law have ye...
North Carolina Model Ordinances for Wind Siting
North Carolina has developed a model ordinance for wind siting addressing six key protections: a) setbacks, b) noise, c) property value, d) environmental, e) escrow account, and f) decommissioning.
Montgomery Green Bank
Montgomery County became the nation’s first local green bank in 2016. The Bank is codified at Montgomery County Code Chapter 18A Article 7.
Model Construction and Demolition Code
King County, Washington, developed construction and demolition code templates, available for adoption by local permitting jurisdictions, and related forms, in coordination with the Regional Code Colla...
NYC Idling Law
The New York City Administrative Code, Title 24, Section 24-163 establishes that no person should allow the engine of a motor vehicle to idle for longer than three minutes while parking, standing, or ...
Boulder’s Climate Tax
In November 2022, voters in Boulder Colorado approved a new Climate Tax on electric and natural gas bills to fund climate mitigation and resilience efforts. The new tax replaces and expands an existin...
GoEVCity Policy Toolkit
The GoEVCity Policy Toolkit is a catalog of local policies, strategies, and programs designed to advance the transition to EVs in Colorado communities. The toolkit takes a holistic approach to the tra...
Model Ordinance Establishing a Pay-As-You-Throw Program for Residential Municipal Solid Waste
Cities striving to meet zero-waste, climate, and other sustainability goals are increasingly realizing that waste reduction can be a key strategy to achieving their targets—in particular, reducing foo...
Melrose MA CCA Case Study
Greater Boston’s MAPC published a 2017 community choice aggregation case study on the city of Melrose, which added the equivalent of a one-megawatt wind turbine while saving local customers $200,000 o...
Linn County’s Pollinator Friendly Solar Development Standards
Linn County’s solar development standards under its zoning ordinances specify site requirements related to ground cover and buffer areas of solar projects that benefit pollinators. The standards requi...
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